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Washington will pay tribute to a favored native son at 'Ernie Harwell Day' Friday
When the Georgia Hall gathers in Atlanta February 17 to enshrine its new inductees, much can be said about the new class which includes those who achieved in football, basketball, golf and coaching plus one contributor which is where our focus centers. Ernie Harwell, whose birthplace was Washington in Wilkes County, will be honored by his state hall of fame as a contributor, a broadcaster who never called a game he didn't like. If there were ever a man deserving to be recognized by his worth as a human being, it would be Ernie Harwell, who happened to become one of baseball's greatest announcers. No announcer worked harder to perfect his craft than Ernie. No announcer has had more pure love for his sport. Ernie is a purist at heart. Before his officialinduction in Atlanta, he will be honored in his hometown of Washington on Friday February 15. The guess here is that "Ernie Harwell Day" in Washington will mean as much to the long time Detroit Tiger announcer as the actual induction into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. To be recognized in your original community is, perhaps, the ultimate tribute. When the old hometown puffs out its chest, the honor becomes especial, gratificationendures. Washington has chosen to pay tribute to its native son because the community is proud of him, they want him to know that while he has ventured far from his roots, he is still remembered and beloved in the locale where he longed to go barefoot in the spring, and where his dreams took root. In keeping with the baseball tradition, the organizing committee has ordered up hot dogs, popcorn, peanuts and crackerjack for the luncheon tribute to Ernie. His career began with the Atlanta Crackers in 1943 while he was working at WSB Radio. Right away his style and his enthusiasm made him popular with fans. His reputation as a broadcaster reached beyond Georgia's capital city. In 1948 a fortuitous development linked him permanently with the major leagues. He was traded from the Crackers to the Brooklyn Dodgers for a catcher, the only announcer ever to receive that distinction. That novel milestone in his career would eventually become a memorable footnote in a Hall of Fame career. Ernie worked in Brooklyn when the Dodgers were as important to the city as the garbage pickup. He subsequently moved over to Coogan's Bluff and the Giants. It was he who made the call of Bobby Thomson's homerun that claimed the pennant for the Giants in 1951, but his call was not preserved for posterity. He described Thomson's miracle shot for television which was in its infancy. No tape was made of the broadcast. Russ Hodges made the call on radio, screaming, "The Giants win the pennant." If you visit the baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, you can hear the Russ Hodges call. That doesn't bother Ernie. The important thing to him was that he was there. He witnessed the epic game, he was part of history. Modesty rules in this man's life. Humility is his trademark, and if you want to discover his true measure, talk to his peers in broadcasting. They all respect him as a broadcaster, but most of all they toast his decency, his goodwill to his fellow man. God fearing and selfless,Ernie Harwell will make the town of Washington's day by coming home as his old community honors its favorite son.
(The event will be held at noon at The Pope Center. Seats will be available at the door. See story on page 1)
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